Introduction (First Men to the Moon)

<ul> Von Braun notes that he has been overwhelmed with mail since the first Sputnik, 1957-10-04. This introduction "is an attempt to answer the questions I have most frequently been asked." Six Questions follow, with long Answers including (same as the following story) technical diagrams in the ample side and bottom margins. <li> Man's abode is the earth. Are we not invading God's kingdom as we prepare for human travel through the universe? <li> Why do you believe other worlds are inhabited? <li> Why must we explore outer space? Haven't we got enough problems down here? <li> What is your opinion on U.F.O.'s? <li> I am a boy, fourteen, and would like to become a rocket man. How should I go about it? <li> Will radiation make space travel impossible? </ul>

Portions of the 1960 chapbook were previously published in This Week magazine. Probably the Introduction was entirely new; its final page that literally introduces the story suggests as much: "... I have chosen [a voyage to the moon] to describe in the story that follows. Much of this material first appeared in This Week magazine, and I am grateful to the editors for their permission to use it as the basis for this book."